Kawaii-Cherri: I can't say she's going to say anything soon, I'm over ten chapters ahead and… well, nothing yet. Spice is increasing though; it may be a bit vanilla atm but there's cinnamon on the horizon.

Chapter Twenty-Five – Flushed faces

'Bazzie! Look at this stupid thing!' Elspeth said as she ran over with a small item in her hands. It was a plastic mushroom which had a painted pair of soulless eyes. 'It's a little light up lamp!' She squealed, almost waving it in his face. 'Look at it's stupid, fucking faaaaace,' she growled as she stared at it with aggressive glee.

Sebastian chuckled and leaned back to avoid her waving hands. 'It's cute,' he admitted, a little scared at how much she seemed to want to crush it.

'Oh, my Yoba, I neeed it in my life!' She said happily. There's a button on the side and she presses it accidently, causing it to light up with a smooth rainbow rotation of colours. Elspeth paused before holding it up in the air in delight. 'It got better!' She almost screamed.

With care, Sebastian reached over and pried it from her fingers, 'oh-kay,' he said as he avoided looking at her in the eye. 'Elsie,' he said as she went to grab it back. 'You're being somehow adorable but also, I'm scared,' he said with a small smile. 'Sweetie, it's a lot,' he added.

Elspeth's face softened and she relaxed, 'awww, "sweetie",' she repeated, causing a little flush appear on his cheeks. She smiled at him, 'sorry, I was a little intense there, huh,' she grinned and he gingerly passed her back the mushroom light. She turned it off and popped it back on the shelf next to them. They were standing in a large department store, which specialised with home furnishings.

'Don't apologise,' he replied simply and picked it back up. 'Get it,' Sebastian said as she looked at it longingly.

Elspeth shrugged a shoulder, 'I really shouldn't. I don't actually have a need for it and I'm just being silly.' She began to wander off and Sebastian rolled his eyes. It turned out that Elspeth was willing to purchase anything for someone else but trying to get her to buy something for herself was like trying to get blood out of a stone. She begins to hum to herself, 'so you've picked a new bed, chair and desk. You're bringing back the lamp from your mum's and what's left?' She muses to herself. 'Shelves?'

'Bedding,' Sebastian said simply. He didn't particularly like the crowds that were around but he didn't mind the shopping trip. Elspeth was enjoyable company and he was having fun.

'Oooh, bedding,' Elspeth smiled brightly as she spun around to take hold of his arm. She could tell that he was tense with so many people about but he counteracted that with his usual demeanour. 'Did you have any idea of what you want?' She asked. Her hand found his and he gave her fingers a squeeze and she leaned into him. 'You okay?' She asked quietly.

Sebastian is a little stiff as they walked down the aisle but he nodded, moving his arm so that it's around her shoulders. He leaned his head closer to hers, 'yeah,' he replied and she smiled brightly, biting her lip. He looked around and enjoyed the walking hug they were sharing. 'As for the bedding,' he muses, 'I just want something fresh. I've had the other stuff for years and while it's clean and functional… I don't know.'

'It reminds you of everything bad?'

He nodded. 'My bed was really my only place I could just… be me? If that makes sense in a totally non-creepy way? But because of that, my old bed is just where I hated the world,' he sighed as he tried to steer the conversation away from the depressing topic they had gotten on. 'What bedding would you choose?'

They reached the correct floor and aisle and Elspeth peered at a couple of displays. 'In a perfect world, I would choose something with mushrooms on it,' she said, honestly. They walked around the department and chose a few things, popping them into the basket that Sebastian insisted in carrying.

'What is with your sudden obsession with mushrooms?' He laughed as she moved away to look through some sheets.

'I love mushrooms. Eating them and wearing them. Also, when they're cute decorations!' Elspeth grinned at him. 'They're not anywhere but cottage core seems to be coming in and so they're on trend at the moment,' she moved some packets aside and squealed in delight at a discovery. 'Oh! Bazzie! Look what I found!' She said as she picked up a bed set that was a navy blue but had little, silver seashells embroidered at the top of the hem and edge of the pillows.

He gave her a look and laughed as he took the set from her. 'Really? Seashells?' He asked as she wiggled in delight.

'It's adorable!' She giggled. 'The shells are so small, it's like a nice little reference to your other side,' she said, quietly with a wink.

'It is nice,' he said, amused, as he looked at it. '100% cotton too, which is always better.'

'I was only teasing,' she said as she went to take it back from him but he held it above his head.

'Nope. This is mine now,' he said.

'Noooo, don't be silly. I was only joking. You don't have to get it,' Elspeth said, concerned that he was just getting it not to upset her.

'Sweetie,' Sebastian said, noticing how her face lit up when he called her by the pet name. 'I like the bedspread. Is it a little on the nose? Yeah, it is. I don't care about that,' he said making her smile. 'Come on,' he said as he put the packet in the basket and pulled her back under his arm. 'Shall we find somewhere to eat?' He asked.

Elspeth's stomach made the choice for her and grumbled loudly. Sebastian went through the till and then they made their way to the in-store café. Elspeth ran over to a cabinet and almost pressed herself up against the glass which held the pastries. 'They smell soo good,' she said, excitedly. They choose something to eat and drink and took their seats, tucking the bags under the table. Before going to the furniture department, they had swung past the electronic level and picked up some replacement phones. Sebastian pulled Elspeth's phone box from his backpack; both phones were under contract and so their old phone numbers should have been reactivated onto the new sim cards.

Sebastian took a sip of his coffee. 'Do you want me to set up your phone?' He asks as he looks at the make and model she had chosen. Elspeth nodded; her mouth full of carrot cake.

'Yesh pleashe,' she said, covering her mouth with her hand. 'Fank yoo,' she added. Sebastian chuckled and began to set up her phone, applying her screen protector and other bits. Now that her mouth was clear, she sipped her own coffee. 'Can you remember your number? I'll need to re-enter it.'

He nods and enters it into her phonebook, along with his mother's mobile and the shop number. 'I'm sorry, I don't remember Hayley's number. Doesn't look like the sim has been activated yet, might be a few hours yet,' he said as he slipped into the new case that she had chosen. It was dark green which seemed to have a slight shimmer to it. He passed it over, 'you're going to need a background and things-'

Elspeth had already moved around the table and sat in his lap, careful of the table and their drinks. 'Smile!' She said brightly.

'Wha-?' Sebastian said in surprise and shock and he felt Elspeth lean forward and kiss his cheek. There was a flash and she sat back to look at the screen. It was a pretty good picture. Elspeth had caught the moment of him smiling, his eyes closed and the kiss on his cheek. They both looked happy and it made him smile simply looking at it.

'Perfection!' She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. 'It's going to make a great background; do you mind if I use it?'

He chuckled lightly. 'I mean, I don't mind but it's going to be hard to refute any inquiries about us dating and claim innocence.'

'Whomp, whomp,' she said simply and set it as her background. 'Oo, I have to change your name as well now,' she said as she went into her contacts. Sebastian raised a brow and began sorting out his own phone. He had entered his number under the nickname that she called him so he wasn't sure as to what she meant by change it. 'There, what do you think?' Elspeth asked as she showed him the screen.

'You changed it to, "My Sebastian"?' He read out loud and looked at her in surprise.

Her face flushed pink and she bit her lip, 'is that okay? I mean, I know I don't call you by your full name often but recently, I've been thinking of you in this way,' she admitted. 'Y'know?' She mumbled, leaning into his hand as he cupped her cheek.

His own cheeks blushed and he subconsciously moved his lip ring with his tongue. 'I'll admit that the first time I entered your name into my phone… I had you listed as something similar,' he mumbled, feeling stupid.

Thankfully, the café that they were sitting in was reasonably quiet and they had chosen a table out of the way so that they'd have privacy and Sebastian wouldn't have to worry. 'Even back then?' Elspeth said, softly. She began to run her fingers through his hair and enjoyed the way it felt against her skin.

'Lame, I know,' he said, holding her around the waist.

She shook her head, 'no. Not lame,' she said, stroking along his jaw. His eyes flicked to her mouth and they moved closer. 'Bazzie?' She whispered, the grip on her clothing tightening as he pulled her closer.

'Hmm?' He murmured. They were barely a breath apart and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks and around his collar. The intent in her eyes was obvious and while he could feel his nerves, he was trying to shove his apprehension to the back of his mind. I can't hurt her… she's literally touching me right now and nothing bad is happening. I can't hurt her; he thought trying not to focus on his inexperience. He was glad that she was sitting on his lap as he was sure that his knee would be jiggling up and down if she weren't.

Her heart raced in her chest and she bit her lip, 'will you kiss m-?' She didn't get to finish her sentence before Sebastian pulled her closer. Their lips met and Elspeth felt her breath hitch in her throat. She could taste coffee and cigarette smoke but it was overwhelmed by the warmth of his mouth on hers. Her arms wound around his shoulders and she felt him hold her tightly, his fingertips digging into her waist. Elspeth couldn't help but let out a small, light moan as his teeth caught her lip, their kiss deepening.

Sebastian had no idea how long had passed but when they parted, they were both flushed in the cheeks and breathing heavily. Elspeth smiled shyly at him and he wore a meek half one in return. His phone beeped at him and he realised that he'd been holding it the entire time. They looked at the screen and it was complaining of a low battery. Sebastian frowned and looked more closely at his phone. 'I think… I took photos?' He said as he turned the phone over. 'Ah, yeah…' he said, embarrassed as he realised. 'I held it too tightly and there's a button here that-'

'Are they cute?' Elspeth asks, hoping that the flush on her chest would disappear soon. We kissed! Fuck, that was so hot. I didn't think that was going to happen, she thought in a blind haze of hormones.

Sebastian raised a brow but opened his gallery app, ignoring the low battery notification. There were many pictures of them sharing their kiss and he had to admit, they were pretty good. Seeing himself kissing her was oddly primal and he made the decision to save the photos somewhere private. He scrolled through and chose one that was a little softer in affection and showed her. He cleared his throat, 'I, uh, like this one,' he admitted.

Elspeth smiled and nodded, 'I think you should use it for something, profile picture or background. Screensaver or something,' she said softly. 'Every time you look at it, you'll see how far you've come,' she whispered lightly to him. 'All the things that you thought you wouldn't be able to do.'

'What if I wanted to use it as my background? Would that bother you?'

'No,' she shook her head. 'I know we said that we wouldn't tell anyone but that's just because in their eyes, without the bouquet,' she said sarcastically, 'they would complain and blah, blah, blah,' she said in a mocking way. 'So, if you want this as your background,' she said as she tilted his head towards her and dropped a light kiss against his lips. 'You do that,' she said, smiling. Sebastian chuckled and ignored his blush. He fiddled around with the photos before pushing his luck with the battery and locking the phone. He cleared his throat and looked up at Elspeth, who was quite happily sitting on his lap. She had picked up her latte and was taking a sip, 'hmm?' She asked.

'Nothing,' he said honestly. 'I just… really enjoyed today.'

Elspeth smiles at him and leans her head against his, stroking his hair once again. 'It's been great,' she agrees. 'Your furniture gets delivered tomorrow and we can set it up and decorate.'

Sebastian leans down and roots around in one of the bags. 'Well, it's a good thing I've bought a new lamp for my desk,' he said as he pulled out a box.

She froze and stared at the box. 'No fucking way,' she said in a high pitch. It was the little mushroom lamp she had lost her mind over. 'How did you? I put it down-'

He laughed lightly and pulled out another box, it was another one. 'I asked the cashier to get one for me and if there were two, to pick them both up,' he explained.

Her eyes almost burst out of her head, 'that. Is. Amazing,' she said in glee. 'Why do you have two though?' She asked as she put down her coffee and picked one of the boxes up.

'One is for my desk and the other, well, that's for you,' he said, softly.

'Bazzie,' she said, her voice thick. 'You didn't have-'

'I know,' he said, placing a hand on her knee and giving it a squeeze. 'I wanted to,' Sebastian said, honestly. Elspeth grinned in delight and bounced a little as she looked at the box. He looked at her expression, feeling his heart swell in adoration, 'I wanted to see your smile.'

Be well. Stay safe.